The bill known as Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 is still pending in Congress and has become a hot issue and ignites clashes of opinion. The Roman Catholic church aggressively campaigned against the bill saying that it is anti-life and against the will of God.

However, not all faithful Catholics blindly follow the call of the Church to reject the bill. Recently, a group of professors from Ateneo de Manila University, expressed support to Reproductive Health Bill. From 14, the number of Ateneo professors who defy the Church on birth control increases to 69 with the addition of another 55.

It is not surprising. More and more people will realize that they need an enacted bill on reproductive health. We need House Bill 5043.

Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 or House Bill 5043, explained in an article published in Inquirer.net:

The reproductive health (RH) bill promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible.

The bill does not have any bias for or against either natural or modern family planning. Both modes are contraceptive methods. Their common purpose is to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

The bill will promote sustainable human development.

Coverage of Reproductive Health:

Information and access to natural and modern family planning

Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition

Promotion of breast feeding

Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications

Adolescent and youth health

Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs

Elimination of violence against women

Counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health

Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers

Male involvement and participation in Reproductive Health

Prevention and treatment of infertility, and

Reproductive Health education for the youth.

I join the majority who appeal to legislators in Congress and in the Senate to pass the Reproductive Health bill (House Bill 5043).

I am a Roman Catholic. I have strong faith to God as I understood him. But being Catholic doesn’t mean that I will always support what the Bishops say. For now, I stand that I’m on the right path with my strong support to reproductive health bill. And I insist that my stand doesn’t diminish my being a Catholic.

When ABS-CBN aired the exclusive interview of ABS-CBN reporter, George Carino to MILF Commander Bravo, I felt so sorry and dismayed.

On the light side, I don’t wonder why ABS-CBN reporters are prone to kidnapping by rebels. What if the Bravo group changed their mind and never allowed the reporter to go back? Will ABS-CBN seek help from the government? Will ABS-CBN blame the reporter for violating its security protocol? That will be another story.

I am a staunch advocate of press freedom but this time I say that limitations of such freedom must be intelligently discerned by journalist as to not put the nation and democracy at risk.

In the exclusive interview, renegade MILF Commander Bravo appeared so arrogant. He felt so powerful.

And why not? He was given the privilege by ABS-CBN.

Commander Bravo has a P20-million bounty on his head for going on a rampage and killing and burning houses in several communities in Mindanao following the order of the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the August 5 signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) with the MILF for the creation of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).

I hope we have not forgotten that. But in the exclusive interview, Commander Bravo twisted everything as if it was the fault of the government that’s why they terrorized the poor civilians.

Maria Ressa, head of ABS-CBN news and public affairs keeps on justifying that the exclusive interview was within the realms of press freedom and the right of the people to know.

Of course she needs to be re-oriented that there are certain limitations (that’s why the Congress is granting franchise to broadcast entity), such as airing subversive and rebellious statements that can incite people to rebel, and giving aid and comfort to enemies of state.

MILF Commander Bravo is obviously an enemy of state and ABS-CBN aired his subversive and rebellious statements!

That was indeed a violation of ABS-CBN’s franchise agreement with National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Jun Nicdao of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) found nothing wrong with the interview. While Nonoy Espina, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) deputy secretary-general insist that ABS-CBN did not violate its franchise agreement with the NTC by airing an exclusive interview with a wanted separatist leader in Mindanao.

For Representative Abdullah “Bobby” Dimaporo, ABC-CBN betrayed its pursuit of money by sensationalizing the news, in place of the search for truth.

For me, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is doing right to ask for an investigation for ABS-CBN’s possible violation of its franchise.

I am reminded with the famous line of Salvador P. Lopez: Freedom without responsibility will lead to anarchy but responsibility without freedom will lead tyranny.

With great joy, and with a heart with burning hope, spiced with little tick of fear and uncertainties, I spent 24 hours of my life to celebrate my serenity.

12:01 AM

I continue to work on the technical document I started early evening. No deviations, just work. Aside from the sound of ticking clock, I hadn’t heard myself complaining on getting cold water for my coffee which supposed to be hot.

12:12 AM

Got my first SMS. It was a simple greetings from a person least expected.

2:18 AM

My keyboard got noisy and clicking of mouse became more forceful. But my beloved buddy still saw me smiling. My buddy even giggled when I changed my writer’s hat to software tester’s hat. This time I got hot coffee. And it was freaky good coffee!

The event converges Cebu-based bloggers and e-commerce industry players. Exchanges of ideas and updates are expected during the event.

I look forward on what new information I can get during the event. I always look forward to hear updates from Janette Toral because I know there are always new insights that she will readily share.

I remember the Cebu Bloggers meet-up (February 7, 2008) where Ms. Toral shared about blogging and the 2010 elections. I was inspired then to sustain blogging.

I see the upcoming DigitalFilipino.com Club and Bloggers Cebu Networking Event as milestone in Cebu Blogging history. And of course, Cebu Bloggers Society has its role in sustaining growth among Cebu bloggers.

Samsung takes Filipino mobile users to the unlimited realm of imagination with the launching of ph.samsungmobile.com.

The web portal features Samsung mobile products which allows me to check phone specifications and even compare to other units. Of course, I can make quick searches of Samsung mobile phone which fitted to my lifestyle. For example, I can tick on 3G checkbox to view 3G Samsung mobile phones. It really makes my searches easy.

Of course, ph.samsungmobile.com also features Support, Downloads, Member Services, Community, and Promotion pages. It makes the portal a complete realms of what I need and what I imagine. It truly justifies that Samsung nurtures one’s imagination.

Like this:

There is nothing new on the fourth impeachment case file against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It is still the same self-centered and selfish move.

It is insanity. And insanity, Albert Einstein said, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I am not surprised with the move of Joey de Venecia III. The charges against GMA: betrayal of public trust,

culpable violations of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption and other high crimes are equally not
surprising. This has been the same charges filed on early impeachment complaints.

But it is sad to note that such serious charges turned trvial. And Filipino people don’t buy such unnecessary distraction of the govenment.

While every is concerned on how we as one nation cope with the global financial crisis, the group of Joey de Venecia III try to divert attention with their fourth impeachment case.

Forgive me Joey de Venecia III, but I really suspect that your cause is for your personal goals and not for common good.

See? The filing of impeachment case does not even move the Filipino people.

As the Manila Standard notes:
Four of the country’s top business leaders have already expressed dismay over De Venecia’s move: Edgardo Lacson of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. of Philexport, and Donald Dee and Miguel Varela of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines.

The four pillars of the business sector were visibly angry over De Venecia’s move, noting that the impeachment bid came at a time when the world is talking about a global economic collapse that would definitely have an impact on the country.

Poor Joey but now majority are dismayed with his irresponsible action.

The wise men in the lower congress won’t but Joey’s apple because they know they will be poisoned. If they support him, people will learn to hate them.

After all, the concern of most of the Filipino people is coping up with tough global economic situation.